U.S. patent number 6,630,698 [Application Number 09/786,022] was granted by the patent office on 2003-10-07 for high-voltage semiconductor component.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Infineon AG. Invention is credited to Dirk Ahlers, Gerald Deboy, Michael Rueb, Helmut Strack, Hans Weber.
United States Patent |
6,630,698 |
Deboy , et al. |
October 7, 2003 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
High-voltage semiconductor component
Abstract
The invention relates to a high-voltage semiconductor component
comprising semiconductor areas (4, 5) of alternating, different
conductivity types which are arranged in a semiconductor body in an
alternating manner. In the semiconductor body said semiconductor
areas extend from at least one first zone (6) to near a second zone
(1) and are variably doped so that the electric field increases
progressively from one zone to the other (6, 1)
Inventors: |
Deboy; Gerald (Munchen,
DE), Ahlers; Dirk (Munchen, DE), Strack;
Helmut (Munchen, DE), Rueb; Michael (Faak a See,
AT), Weber; Hans (Villach, AT) |
Assignee: |
Infineon AG (Muncheu,
DE)
|
Family
ID: |
7879591 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/786,022 |
Filed: |
November 9, 2001 |
PCT
Filed: |
April 22, 1999 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/DE99/01218 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO00/14807 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
March 16, 2000 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 2, 1998 [DE] |
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198 40 032 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
257/285; 257/287;
257/E29.027; 257/E29.121; 257/E29.066; 257/E29.257;
257/E29.136 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L
29/7802 (20130101); H01L 29/7811 (20130101); H01L
29/7825 (20130101); H01L 29/0634 (20130101); H01L
29/7816 (20130101); H01L 29/7801 (20130101); H01L
29/4232 (20130101); H01L 29/0696 (20130101); H01L
29/4238 (20130101); H01L 29/4236 (20130101); H01L
29/41766 (20130101); H01L 29/1095 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01L
29/06 (20060101); H01L 29/66 (20060101); H01L
29/02 (20060101); H01L 29/78 (20060101); H01L
29/40 (20060101); H01L 29/423 (20060101); H01L
029/80 () |
Field of
Search: |
;257/285,287 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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43 09 764 |
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Mar 1993 |
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DE |
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43 09 764 |
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Sep 1994 |
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DE |
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196 04 043 |
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Feb 1996 |
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DE |
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196 04 044 |
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Feb 1997 |
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DE |
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197 30 759 |
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Jul 1997 |
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DE |
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197 36 981 |
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Aug 1997 |
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DE |
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198 08 348 |
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Feb 1998 |
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DE |
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198 23 944 |
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May 1998 |
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DE |
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198 30 332 |
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Jul 1998 |
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DE |
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198 40 032 |
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Sep 1998 |
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DE |
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0 053 854 |
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Jun 1982 |
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EP |
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0 069 429 |
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Jan 1983 |
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EP |
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0 447 873 |
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Apr 1992 |
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EP |
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0 772 244 |
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May 1997 |
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EP |
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0 834 926 |
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Aug 1998 |
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EP |
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0 939 446 |
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Jan 1999 |
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EP |
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0 973 203 |
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Jan 2000 |
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EP |
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2 089 118 |
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Feb 1982 |
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GB |
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WO 97/29518 |
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Aug 1997 |
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WO |
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WO 97/35346 |
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Sep 1997 |
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WO |
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WO 99/04437 |
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Jan 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 99/23703 |
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May 1999 |
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WO |
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WO99/36961 |
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Jul 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 99/62123 |
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Dec 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 00/02250 |
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Jan 2000 |
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WO |
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WO 00/14807 |
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Mar 2000 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Wilson; Allan R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Semiconductor component having a semiconductor body comprising a
blocking pn junction, a source zone of a first conductivity type
connected to a first electrode and bordering on a zone forming the
blocking pn junction of a second conductivity type complementary to
the first conductivity type, and a drain zone of the first
conductivity type connected to a second electrode, the side of the
zone of the second conductivity type facing the drain zone forming
a first surface, and in the region between the first surface and a
second surface located between the first surface and the drain
zone, areas of the first and second conductivity type nested in one
another, wherein the areas of the first and second conductivity
type are variably so doped that near the first surface doping atoms
in the area of the second conductivity type predominate over those
in the area of the first conductivity type, and near the second
surface doping atoms in the area of the first conductivity type
predominate over those in the area of the second conductivity
type.
2. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein between the
fist and second surface the electrical field has a rising course
starting from a both surfaces.
3. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a degree of
compensation effected by means of the doping in the areas of the
first and second conductivity types has a monotonic course between
the first and second surface.
4. Semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the degree of
compensation has a stepped course.
5. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first
conductivity type is the n-conductivity type.
6. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the areas of
the first and second conductivity type are arranged vertically in
the semiconductor body.
7. Semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein in the areas
of the second conductivity type a degree of compensation effected
by means of doping is varied such that near the first surface
acceptor impurities dominate and near the second surface donor
impurities donate.
8. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the areas of
the second conductivity type have a roughly circular cross-section
in a section parallel to the first surface and to the second
surface and assume hexagonal surface packing.
9. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the areas of
the second conductivity type have a roughly circular cross-section
in a section parallel to the first surface and to the second
surface and assume roughly square surface packing.
10. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the areas of
the second conductivity type have a roughly strip-shaped
cross-section in a section parallel to the first surface and to the
second surface.
11. Semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second
surface is positioned at a distance from the drain zone such that
the regions of the first and second conductivity type nested in
each other do not reach the drain zone.
Description
The present invention concerns a semiconductor device with a
semiconductor body having a blocking pn-junction, a first zone of a
first conductivity type, which is connected to a first electrode
and abuts one of the zones of a second conductivity type opposite
the first conductivity type forming the blocking pn-junction, and
with a second zone of the first conductivity type, which is
connected to a second electrode, whereby the side of the zone of
the second conductivity type facing the second zone forms a first
surface and in the region between the first surface and a second
surface, which lies between the first surface and the second zone,
areas of the first and of the second conductivity type are
nested.
Such semiconductor devices are also known as compensation devices.
Such compensation devices are, for example, n- or p-channel MOS
field effect transistors, diodes, thyristors, GTOs, or other
components. In the following, however, a field effect transistor
(also referred to briefly as "transistor") is assumed as an
example.
There have been various theoretical investigations spread over a
long period of time concerning compensation devices (cf. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,754,310 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,275) in which, however,
specifically, improvements of the on-resistance RDS(on) but not of
stability under current load, such as, in particular, robustness
with regard to avalanche and short circuit in the high-current
operation with high source-drain voltage, are sought.
Compensation devices are based on mutual compensation of the charge
of n- and p-doped areas in the drift region of the transistor. The
areas are spatially arranged such that the line integral above the
doping along a line running vertical to the pn-junction in each
case remains below the material-specific breakdown voltage
(silicon: approximately 2.times.10.sup.12 cm.sup.-2). For example,
in a vertical transistor, as is customary in power electronics, p-
and n-columns or plates, etc. may be arranged in pairs. In a
lateral structure, p- and n-conductive layers may be stacked on
each other laterally alternating between a groove with a
p-conductive layer and a groove with an n-conductive layer (cf.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310).
By means of the extensive compensation of the p- and n-doping, the
doping of the current-carrying region (for n-channel transistors,
the n-region; for p-channel transistors, the p-region) can be
significantly increased, whereby, despite the loss in
current-carrying area, a clear gain in on-resistance R.sub.DS (on)
results. The blocking capability of the transistor depends
substantially on the difference between the two dopings. Since,
because of the reduction of the on-resistance, a doping higher by
at least one order of magnitude of the current-carrying area is
desirable, control of the blocking voltage requires controlled
adjustment of the compensation level, which can be defined for
values in the range .ltoreq..+-.10%. With a greater gain in
on-resistance, the range mentioned becomes even smaller. The
compensation level is then definable by
or by charge difference/charge of one doping area.
Other definitions are, however, possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a robust
semiconductor component of the kind initially mentioned, to be
firstly distinguished by a high "avalanche" ruggedness and high
current load capacity before and/or during breakdown and secondly
simple to produce with reproducible properties in view of
technological latitudes of fluctuation of manufacturing
processes.
This object is accomplished according to the invention, in a
semiconductor component of the kind initially mentioned, in that
the regions of the first and second types of conductivity are so
doped that charge carriers of the second conductivity type
predominate in regions near the first surface and charge carriers
of the first conductivity type in regions near the second
surface.
Preferably, the regions of the second conductivity type do not
extend as far as up to the second zone, so that between said second
surface and the second zone, a weakly doped region of the first
conductivity type remains. It is possible, however, to allow the
width of this region to go to "zero." The weakly doped region,
however, provides certain advantages, such as enhancement of the
barrier voltage, "smooth" profile of the electrical field strength,
or improvement of commutation properties of the inverse diode.
In another refinement of the invention, it is provided that between
the first and second surfaces, a degree of compensation effected by
the doping is so varied that atomic residues of the second
conductivity type dominate near the first surface and atomic
residues of the first conductivity type near the second surface. In
other words, there are sequences of p, p.sup.-, n.sup.-, n or n,
n.sup.-, p.sup.-, p layers between the two surfaces.
Advantageous improvements of the semiconductor device according to
the invention (hereinafter also referred to as "compensation
device") are disclosed by the other dependent claims.
The effect of the areas nested in each other, alternating different
conductivity types, on the electrical field, is, in contrast to a
conventional DMOS transistor, for example, as follows ("lateral"
and "vertical" refer in the following to a vertical transistor):
(a) There is a cross-field, "lateral" to the direction of the
connection between the electrodes, the strength of which depends on
the proportion of the lateral charge (line integral perpendicular
to the lateral pn-junction) relative to the breakdown charge. This
field leads to the separation of electrons and holes and to a
reduction in the current-carrying cross-section along the current
paths. This fact is of primary significance for the understanding
of the processes in avalanche, of the breakdown characteristic
curve, and of the saturation region of the output characteristics
diagram. (b) The "vertical" electrical field parallel to the
direction of the connection between the electrodes is determined
locally by the difference between the adjacent dopings. This means
that with an excess of donors (n-loaded distribution: the charge in
the n-conductive areas exceeds the charge of the p-areas) on the
one hand, a DMOS-like field distribution (maximum of the field on
the blocking pn junction, decreasing field in the direction of the
opposing back of the device) appears, whereby the gradient of the
field is, however, clearly less than would correspond to the doping
of the n-area alone. On the other hand, however, by
overcompensation of the n-conductive area with acceptors, a field
distribution rising in the direction of the back is possible
(p-loaded distribution: excess of acceptors compared to the
donors). In such a design, the field maximum lies at the bottom of
the p-area. If the two dopings are exactly compensated, there is a
horizontal field distribution.
With an exact horizontal field distribution, the maximum of the
breakdown voltage is obtained. If the acceptors or the donors
predominate, the breakdown voltage drops in each case. If the
breakdown voltage is then plotted as a function of the degree of
compensation, a parabolic characteristic is obtained.
Constant doping in the p- and n-conductive areas or even a locally
varying doping with periodic maxima of equal height results in a
comparatively sharply pronounced maximum of the "compensation
parabola". For the benefit of a "production window" (including the
fluctuations of all relevant individual processes), a comparatively
high breakdown voltage must be steered for in order to obtain
reliable yields and production reliability. Consequently, the
objective must be to make the compensation parabola as flat and as
broad as possible.
When the blocking voltage is applied to the device, the drift
region, i.e., the region of the areas of opposite doping arranged
in pairs, is cleared of mobile charge carriers. The positively
charged donor cores and the negatively charged acceptor cores
remain in the spreading space charge region. They then determine
the course of the field.
The flow of current through the space charge region causes a change
in the electric field when the concentration of the charge carrier
associated with the flow of current comes into the region of the
background doping. Electrons compensate donors; holes compensate
acceptors. For the stability of the device, it is also very
important which doping predominates locally, where charge carriers
are generated, and how their concentrations result along their
current paths.
For the following embodiments, for an understanding of the basic
mechanism, initially a constant doping of the p- and n-conductive
areas is assumed.
In the on-state and especially in the saturation region of the
output characteristics of a MOS transistor, a pure stream of
electrons flows from the channel into an n-doped area, also
referred to as a "column" in a vertical transistor, whereby in the
base an increasing focusing of the flow of current occurs because
of the electrical cross-field. High-current stability is promoted
by dominance of the n-doping; however, since the channel region
with its positive temperature coefficient eliminates inhomogeneous
current distribution in a cell field, this mode of operation is
rather uncritical. Reduction in the current density is obtained
through partial shadowing of the channel connection (cf. DE 198 08
348 A1).
With regard to the breakdown characteristic or its course, the
following must be taken into consideration: The generation of
electrons and holes occurs in the region of maximum field strength.
The separation of the two types of charge carriers is performed by
the electrical cross-field. Along the two current paths in the p-
and n-area, respectively, focusing and further multiplication
occurs. Ultimately, also no effect of a partial channel shadowing
occurs. Stability is present only when the mobile charge carriers
cause a rise in the electrical field outside their source and thus
a rise in the breakdown voltage of the respective cell. For
compensation devices this means stability in the p- and n-loaded
region, but not in the maximum of the compensation parabola. In the
p-loaded region, the breakdown occurs at the "bottom" of the
column. The electrons flow out of the drift region and thus do not
affect the field. The holes are pulled through the longitudinal
electrical field to the top source contact. In the process, the
hole current is focused along its path by the electrical
cross-field: The current density rises here. Thus, the longitudinal
electrical field is initially affected near the surface. As a
result of compensation of the excess acceptor cores (p-loaded
distribution), a reduction in the gradient of the electrical field
and a rise in the breakdown voltage occur. This situation is stable
as long as the field there remains clearly below the critical field
strength (for silicon: approximately 270 kV/cm for a charge carrier
concentration of approximately 10.sup.15 cm.sup.-3).
In the n-loaded region with an excess of donors, the breakdown is
near the surface. The holes flow to the source contact and still
affect the field on their path from their source to the p-well. The
objective must consequently be to place the breakdown location as
near as possible to the p-well. This can be accomplished, for
example, by a local elevation in the n-doping. The electrons flow
through the complete drift zone to the back and likewise affect the
field along their current path. Stability is obtained when the
effect of the electron current prevails over that of the hole
current. Since the geometry of the cell arrangement plays an
important role here, there is a region of stable and instable
characteristic curves especially near the maximum of compensation
parabola.
The conditions in the avalanche are very similar to those of a
breakdown. The currents are, however, clearly higher and have with
a rated current as much as twice the rated current of the
transistor. Since the electrical cross-field always causes a clear
focusing of the current, in compensation devices the stability
range is left at comparatively low current loads. Physically, this
means that the current-induced rise in the field has already
advanced so much that locally the breakdown field strength has been
reached. The longitudinal electrical field can then not rise
further locally; the curvature of the longitudinal electrical
field, however, increases which results in a drop in the breakdown
voltage of the cell in question. In the characteristic curve of an
individual cell and also in the simulation, this is reflected by a
negative differential resistance; i.e., the voltage drops as the
current rises. In a large transistor with more than 10,000 cells
this results in a very rapid inhomogeneous redistribution of the
current. A filament is formed, and the transistor melts
locally.
This yields the following consequences for the stability of
compensation devices: (a) Due to the separation of electrons and
holes there is no "auto-stabilization" as with IGBTs and diodes.
Instead, the degree of compensation, field distribution, and
breakdown location must be set exactly. (b) On the compensation
parabola, with constant doping of the p- and n-areas or "columns",
there are stable regions in the clearly p- and in the clearly
n-charged regions. The two regions are not contiguous. Thus, there
is only an extremely small production window. With constant doping
of the p-and n-areas or columns, the compensation parabola is
extremely steep. The breakdown location moves within a few percent
from the bottom of the p-column in the direction of the surface.
(c) For each compensation device, there is a current destruction
threshold in the avalanche which is directly coupled with the
degree of compensation. The degree of compensation, on the other
hand, determines the achievable breakdown voltage and effects the
R.sub.DS (on) gain. (d) With constant doping of the p- and n-areas,
the devices are--as mentioned above--instable near the maximum of
the compensation parabola. This results in the fact that the
devices with the highest blocking voltage are destroyed in the
avalanche test.
As explained above, to prevent the disadvantages, the degree of
compensation is varied along the doping areas, i.e., in a vertical
structure from the top in the direction of the back of the
transistor, such that the atomic cores of the second conductivity
type dominate near the surface and the atomic cores of the first
conductivity type dominate near the back.
The resultant field distribution has a "hump-shaped" curve with a
maximum at approximately one-half of the depth (cf. FIG. 6). Thus,
both the electrons and holes affect the field distribution in the
breakdown and in the avalanche. Both types of charge carriers have
a stabilizing effect, since in each case they run from their source
into areas in which they compensate the dominating excess
background doping. There is thus a continuous stability range from
p-loaded to n-loaded degrees of compensation.
A variation of the degree of compensation due to production
fluctuations shifts the breakdown location only slightly in the
vertical direction and continuously back and forth, as long as this
variation is less than the technically adjusted variation of the
degree of compensation. The size of this modification of the degree
of compensation also determines the limits of the stability range.
Thus, the production window becomes freely selectable.
The focusing of the currents is clearly less pronounced since both
types of charge carriers travel only one-half the path in the
region of the compressing electrical cross-field. Thus, the devices
can be stressed with clearly higher currents in the avalanche.
Since in a variation of the degree of compensation, e.g., in the
direction toward "n-loading", the electrical field increases in
each case in the upper area of the drift region, but simultaneously
decreases in the lower area (vice versa with variations toward
p-loaded distribution), the breakdown voltage varies only
relatively little as a function of the degree of compensation.
Thus, the compensation parabola becomes preferably flat and
wide.
The vertical variation of the degree of compensation can be
effected by variation of the doping in the p-region or by variation
of the doping in the n-region or by variation of the doping in both
regions. The variation of the doping along the column may have a
constant rise or be in a plurality of steps. In principle, the
variation increases monotonically from a p-loaded degree of
compensation to an n-loaded degree of compensation.
The invention can be readily applied even with p-channel
transistors. In that case, an appropriately altered course of the
semiconductor regions occurs: A (p, p-dominated, n-dominated, n)
course is replaced by an (n, n-dominated, p-dominated, p)
course.
The stability limits are reached on the n-loaded side when the
field runs horizontally near the surface over an appreciable part
of the drift region. On the p-loaded side the stability limits are
reached when the field runs horizontally near the bottom of the
compensating column region over a noticeable part of the drift
region.
In general, the compensation parabola becomes flatter and wider the
greater the gradient of the degree of compensation. The breakdown
voltage in the maximum of the compensation parabola drops
accordingly.
Another important limitation of the variation of the degree of
compensation results from the requirement to remain below the
breakdown charge. In addition, with greater elevation of the
p-column doping near the surface, current pinch-off effects occur
near the surface (lateral JFET effect).
For 600 V devices, a variation of the degree of compensation
lengthwise of the p- and n-areas of 50%, for example, is
advantageous.
Although above the starting point has been primarily a vertical
transistor, the semiconductor device according to the invention
can, in principle, have a vertical or even a lateral structure.
With a lateral structure, n- and p-conductive plate-shaped areas
are, for example, arranged laterally stacked in each other.
Applications for such lateral transistors are, for example, found
in the smart power sector or in microelectronics; vertical
transistors are, in contrast, produced primarily in power
electronics.
The vertical modification of the degree of compensation is very
simple to implement since in the individual epitaxial planes, only
the implantation dose must be altered. The "real" compensation dose
is then implanted in the middle epitaxial layer; below that, for
example, 10% less in each case, above that, for example, 10% more
in each case. However, instead of the implantation dose, it is
possible to alter the epitaxial doping.
By means of the more manageable variation, it is possible to reduce
the production costs. The number of necessary epitaxial layers can
be reduced, and the openings for the compensation implantation can
be reduced as a result of greater variation of the implanted dose
due to the greater relative variation of the resist dimension with
simultaneously prolonged subsequent diffusion for the merging of
the individual p-regions into the "column".
The structure according to the invention is produced by the
following individual steps:
First, a multi-.mu.m-thick, n-doped epitaxial layer is applied to a
semiconductor substrate. The p-doping ions are introduced into this
epitaxial layer via a resist mask by means of ion implantation.
Next, the entire process is repeated as often as necessary until
there is an adequately thick n-multi epitaxial layer with embedded
p-centers aligned with each other and stacked. The production of
the actual device then occurs, by means of, for example, the
processing of the base zones, the source zones, the front
metalization, and the gate electrodes in a field effect transistor.
By thermal diffusion, the p-doped centers merge into a rippled
vertical column. Due to intrinsic compensation, the concentration
of the p- or n-doping material is always substantially higher than
the resultant electrically active doping.
The ripple of the vertical column is expressed in a varying
acceptor-donor ratio k.sub.e (z) per horizontal plane. The
electrical compensation varies accordingly in each horizontal plane
in the semiconductor body. The ripple of the column causes no
significant change in the horizontal field. Consequently, in the
first approximation, the contribution U.sub.Bh is considered
unaffected by the ripple.
In the vertical direction, layers with non-horizontally compensated
p-and n-charges alternate. An epitaxial layer corresponds to a
complete ripple period and, consequently, corresponds to two
adjacent pn-junctions. Due to the production fluctuations in the
epitaxy cycles, the charge balance is not equalized over the entire
volume of a pn-junction such that the degree of compensation does
not equal 0.
In a semiconductor device according to the present invention, the
voltage consumed in the blocked state in the cell field between
anodes and cathodes or in a field effect transistor vertically
between source and drain must also be discharged laterally on the
edge of the semiconductor device. Semiconductor devices are often
operated up to a breakdown. In this case, a very high current flows
through the impact ionization which occurs. In order not to destroy
the semiconductor device, no excessively high current densities may
occur, i.e., the breakdown current must be distributed as uniformly
as possible over the entire semiconductor device. However, this
requirement can be fulfilled only if the cell field carries the
majority of this current. If the semiconductor device breaks down
in the edge structure at a smaller blocking voltage than the cell
field, this results in most cases in irreversible thermal damage to
the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device must,
consequently, be avalanche-rugged. Avalanche-rugged semiconductor
devices, especially vertical transistors, reduce the safety
distance necessary to manage overvoltages, whereby in many
applications comparatively low-blocking transistors may be used,
which require at the same R.sub.DS (on) a comparatively small
semiconductor device surface and are thus more economical. With
conventional high-voltage MOSFETs, this is very significant since
the R.sub.DS (on) of these transistors rises disproportionately
with the breakdown voltage. With conventional power devices,
expensive surface-mounted structures or structures near the surface
usually result in the situation that the semiconductors device edge
can block more voltage than the cell field. The lower-lying
semiconductor device volume is homogeneously doped so low that it
withstands the necessary voltage without structuring. With the
semiconductor devices according to the present invention, which use
the production process of intrinsic compensation, the demands with
regard to the edge structure are intensified because here even the
lower-lying volumes under the edge must be processed. The material
actually accommodating the blocking voltage, i.e., the epitaxial
layer above the highly doped semiconductor substrate, is relatively
low ohmic and will only block a fraction of the required voltage.
The blocking capability for the cell field is achieved only with
the introduction of the counter doped columns.
For the volume below the edge, there are, in principle, two
different processing methods: 1. The semiconductor edge may be
processed separately from the cell field, i.e., in additional
steps. An overall counter doping of the substrate on the
semiconductor edge, e.g., by means of overall edge implantation and
diffusion, is conceivable. Thus, an overall intrinsically
compensated and thus highly blocking edge can be produced. Such a
procedure is, however, associated with very high costs. 2. The
column structure in the cell field is continued into the edge,
whereby the substrate is also built up to basically the same
blocking voltages as in the cell field. A minimal increase, for
example, in the dielectric strength of the edge may be obtained in
many cases by means of a suitable variation of the deep
compensation profile of the columns, as this has been described on
the preceding pages for the cell field, whereby, however, the
tolerance range compared to the cell field and thus the tolerance
range of the entire semiconductor device becomes smaller.
Additionally, additional effects may provoke breakdown on the edge
of the semiconductor device.
On the one hand, the surface-mounted edge structures or structures
near the surface cause additional field distortions and generate
centers of high field strength.
On the other hand, it may be necessary to apply an expedient
negative "error charge" to the edge, which causes a curvature of
the equipotential lines toward the semiconductor device surface,
whereby these can be picked up and carried by the surface
structure. This corresponds to a field discharge on the
semiconductor device edge. This error charge condition may also
cause a voltage-induced premature breakdown of the semiconductor
device edge compared to the cell field.
Accordingly, it is best to reduce the horizontal components of
electric field and simultaneously the vertical ripple of the
compensation profile on the edge. Both result in higher blocking
voltages on the semiconductor device edge. To implement this, the
local separation must be eliminated or at least weakened in the
charge centers of opposing polarity, i.e., an intrinsic
compensation must be undertaken.
Thus, a high-voltage resistant edge structure is created, which
consists of a plurality of floating zones of the second
conductivity type, which are separated by intermediate zones of the
first conductivity type, whereby the width of the intermediate
zones and width of the floating zones are smaller than the width of
the areas of the first and of the second conductivity type, which
are nested in each other inside the cell fields. These floating
zones and intermediate zones are doped such that the charge
carriers of floating zones and of intermediate zones are completely
cleared with the application of blocking voltage.
Thus, preferably, the edge volume is processed in one and the same
operation, whereby both the thickness of an individual epitaxial
layer and the cell grid is reduced in size in the edge region,
yielding at the end of the process homogeneous dopant distribution
for both types of charge carriers for each edge cell. With regard
to the ratio of unmasked surface per cell to the total cell surface
in the edge region, the charge applied by implantation can be
ideally adapted to the charge which is defined by the epitaxy. In
order to achieve ideal blockability, a charge balance, i.e.,
intrinsically compensated condition, is sought.
Preferably, the thickness of the individual epitaxial layers will
be designed according to specifications which the cell field
defines. This again yields a vertically rippled compensation
profile on the semiconductor edge, but in a substantially weaker
form than in the cell field. A reduction in the cell grid results
in the fact that the resolution of the doping material source is
reduced, whereby the boundaries of the individual diffusion fronts
become blurred.
An additional advantage of the edge design described is the
coupling between the production defects in the edge and in the cell
field since error mechanisms act in both regions in the same
direction.
The invention is explained in detail in the following with
reference to the drawings. They depict:
FIG. 1 a top view of an n-channel lateral MOS transistor according
to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 a cross-section of an n-channel lateral MOS transistor with
V-shaped grooves according to a second exemplary embodiment of the
invention,
FIGS. 3a through 3d various layouts in the semiconductor device
according to the invention,
FIG. 4 a cross-section through an n-channel lateral MOS transistor
according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 5 the course of the degree of compensation K along the line
C-D in FIG. 4,
FIG. 6 the course of the electrical field along the line C-D in
FIG. 4,
FIG. 7 the course of the breakdown voltage as a function of the
degree of compensation for constant doping and for variable
doping,
FIG. 8 a concrete example of the cell design for an n-channel MOS
transistor,
FIGS. 9a through 9c various square edge structure layouts in the
semiconductor device according to the invention,
FIGS. 10a through 10c various strip edge structure layouts in the
semiconductor device according to the invention,
FIG. 11 a hexagonal edge structure layout in the semiconductor
device according to the invention,
FIG. 12 a cross-section through an n-channel MOS transistor
according to a fourth exemplary embodiment with an edge structure
layout, and
FIG. 13 a cross-section through an n-channel MOS transistor
according to a fifth exemplary embodiment with a different edge
structure layout.
FIG. 1 depicts a top view of an n-channel MOS transistor with an
n.sup.+ -conductive drain zone 15, an n.sup.+ -conductive source
zone 16, a gate electrode 8, and a p-conductive area 5. This
p-conductive area 5 extends finger-like into an n-conductive area 4
on a semiconductor substrate 1, such that the areas 4 and 5 are
"nested" in each other. The gate electrode 8 may, for example, be
made of polycrystalline silicon, whereas an isolation layer not
shown in FIG. 1 below this gate electrode 8 is made, for example,
of silicon dioxide and/or silicon nitride. In the p-conductive area
5, a p-charge excess is present in a zone I; a "neutral" charge, in
a zone II; an n-charge excess, in a zone III. This means that in
the area 5 in the zone I, the p-charge dominates the charge of the
surrounding n-conductive area 5; that also in the zone II, the
p-charge exactly compensates the charge of the surrounding
n-conductive area 5; and that in the zone III, the p-charge is less
than the charge of the surrounding n-conductive area 5. It is thus
significant that the charge of the p-area 5 is variable whereas the
charge of the n-areas 4 is in each case constant.
The p-conductive area 5 extends from the edge of the source zone
16, i.e. from a surface A to a dashed line surface B in the
n-conductive region 4. This surface B is positioned at a distance
from the drain zone 15, such that there is, between the surface B
and the drain zone 15, an n-conductive region 13 in which there is
no "nesting" with p-conductive regions 5. However, it is also
possible to shift the surface B to the edge of the drain zone 15,
such that there is no n-conductive region 13. Advantageously,
however, the surface B is positioned at a distance from the drain
electrode 15, which results in an increase of the blocking voltage,
a smoother course of the electrical field, and an improvement of
the commutating characteristics of the inverse diode.
FIG. 2 depicts a cross-section through another exemplary embodiment
of the semiconductor device according to the invention in the form
of an n-channel MOS transistor with a drain electrode 2 and a gate
insulation layer 9 between the gate electrode 8 and the channel
region, which is provided under the insulation layer 9 between a
source zone 16 and a drain zone 15 in a p-conductive region 5.
Also, in this exemplary embodiment, the p-conductive areas 5 in the
zones I, II, and III have variable doping, as was explained above
with reference to FIG. 1.
The exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 depict two preferred
design possibilities for lateral structures of the semiconductor
device according to the invention. Essential in the two structures
is the fact that the reported variable doping is present in the
areas 5 and that these areas 5 do not reach the drain zone 15,
i.e., terminate in a surface B at a distance from this drain zone
15. However, it is possible to move the surface B toward the edge
of the drain zone 15. As stated above, the degree of compensation
can be obtained by variation of the doping of the p-conductive
areas 5 or of the n-conductive areas 4.
FIGS. 3a through 3d depict various layouts for the semiconductor
device according to the invention with hexagonal polysilicon
structures 17 and polysilicon openings 18 (FIG. 3a), in which
aluminum contact holes 19 (FIG. 3b) may be provided. FIG. 3c
depicts a layout with rectangular polysilicon structures 20 and
corresponding polysilicon openings 18 and aluminum contact holes
19, whereas FIG. 3d schematically depicts, in a top view and in
cross-section, a strip structure with polysilicon gate electrodes 8
and aluminum electrodes 21.
FIGS. 3a through 3d depict how the semiconductor device according
to the invention can be designed with different structures.
FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section through an n-channel MOS transistor
with an n.sup.+ -conductive silicon semiconductor substrate 1, a
drain electrode 2, a first n-conductive layer 13, the second layer
3 with n-conductive areas 4 and p-conductive areas 5, p-conductive
zones 6, n-conductive zones 7, gate electrodes 8 made, for example,
from polycrystalline silicon or metal, which are embedded in an
isolating layer 9 made, for example, from silicon dioxide, and a
source metalization 10 made, for example, from aluminum. Here
again, the p-conductive areas 5 do not reach the n.sup.+
-conductive semiconductor substrate.
For the sake of clarity, FIG. 4 depicts only the metal layers
hatched, although the remaining areas or zones are also depicted in
cross-section.
In the p-conductive areas 5, there is a p-charge excess in a zone
I, a "neutral" charge in the zone II, and an n-charge excess in
zone III. This means that in the area 5 which forms a "p-column" in
the zone I, the charge of the p-column dominates the charge of the
surrounding n-conductive area 5, further that in the zone II, the
charge of the p-column precisely compensates the charge of the
surrounding n-area 5, and that in the zone III, the charge of the
p-column does not yet dominate the charge of the surrounding n-area
5. It is also essential that the charge of the p-areas 5 is
variable, whereas the charge of the n-areas 4 is in each case
constant. However, it is possible here, as in the preceding
exemplary embodiments, that the charge of the p-conductive areas 5
is constant and the charge of the n-conductive areas is varied. It
is likewise possible to design the charge variable in both areas 4
and 5.
FIG. 5 depicts in a cross-section C-D the course of the degree of
compensation K over the depth t of the n-channel MOS transistor: As
is discernible from FIG. 5, the degree of compensation K rises
monotonically with a constant gradient or in steps from the point C
to point D. It is discernible from FIG. 6 that the electrical field
E has a substantially constant curvature over the area 5 between
the points C and D.
FIG. 7 depicts compensation parabolas for a constant and a variable
doping of the p-conductive areas 5 in the exemplary embodiment of
FIG. 4. The degree of compensation K is plotted in percentages on
the abscissa, whereas the ordinate indicates the breakdown voltage
U in volts. One curve 11 depicts the breakdown voltage U for a
variable doping, whereas a curve 12 depicts the breakdown voltage
for a constant doping. It is clear that the variable doping brings
a considerable drop in the breakdown voltage from approximately 750
V to approximately 660 V. However, in exchange, a larger range of
the degree of compensation can be used.
FIG. 8 depicts finally a cell design in a cross-section with a
drain D, a source S, and a gate G, the n.sup.+ -conductive
semiconductor substrate 1, an n-conductive semiconductor region 13,
the n-conductive layer 3, and n-conductive regions 4 as well as
p-conductive regions 5 for the p-conductive region 5 under the
source electrode S. In FIG. 8 the degrees of compensation, for
example, between +30% and -20% are reported, whereby a degree of
compensation "0" indicates true compensation between n-doping and
p-doping. Here, the doping thus varies within the "p-column" by a
factor 3 whereas the doping in the "n-columns" is constant.
FIGS. 9a through 9c depict, in principle, as in FIGS. 3a through
3d, how the semiconductor device according to the invention can be
designed with different structures which extend into the edge
region. As can be discerned in FIGS. 9a through c, FIGS. 10a
through c and in FIG. 11, in the semiconductor edge region, a large
number of floating zones 5', are formed from the second
conductivity type and are separated from intermediate zones 4' of
the first conductivity type. The width of the intermediate zones 4'
and the widths of the floating zones 5' are smaller than the widths
of the regions 4, 5 inside the cell field. The floating zones 5'
and the intermediate zones 4' are dimensioned such that their
charge carriers are completely cleared with the application of
blocking voltage. The zones 5', which are designed lightly p-doped
in the present exemplary embodiment, are "floating" , i.e., they
have an undefined potential. The floating zones 5' are positioned
at a distance from each other, whereby the region between the
floating zones 5' defines an intermediate zone 4'. This
intermediate zone 4' typically has the same doping concentration as
the doping in the zones 4 within the cell field.
FIGS. 9a, b, and c depict different variations of the widths of the
floating zones compared to the basic widths in the cell field.
FIGS. 10a, b, and c depict the same thing with the strip edge
structure layout and FIG. 11 with a hexagonal edge structure
layout.
FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 depict the n-channel MOS transistor known from
FIG. 4, which has been expanded by an intrinsically compensated
edge termination. The transistor is built in known fashion with an
n.sup.+ -conductive silicon semiconductor substrate 1, a drain
electrode 2, a first n-conducting layer 13, a second layer with
n-conducting areas 4 and p-conductive areas 5, p-conductive zones
6, n-conductive zones 7, gate electrodes 8 made, for example, from
polycrystalline silicon or metal, which are embedded in an
insulation layer 9 made, for example, from silicon dioxide, and a
source metalization 10 made, for example, of aluminum. In the
present figures in each case two p-conductive areas 5 and
n-conductive areas 4 are depicted on the left side. Toward the
right, additional p-conductive areas 5' and n-conductive areas 4'
extend alternatingly. The p-conductive areas 5' have, compared to
the p-conductive areas 5, roughly half the width; however, they
extend roughly as far into the n-conductive region 13 in the
direction of the substrate 1. The regions 5', 4' lying adjacent the
regions 4, 5 are connected to a p-conductive zone 6', which
connects via a contact hole with the source metalization 10. The
p-conductive zone 6' forms a p-ring known from the prior art. The
p-conductive zones 6' has, in contrast to the cell field, no
n-conductive zone, to prevent parasitic transistors. The n- and
p-conductive areas 4', 5' extend far beyond the p-conductive zone
6' in the direction of the edge of the device. On the outermost
edge, there is a so-called channel stopper configuration, which
consists of a gate electrode 8', which is electrically connected
with an n-conductive zone 7", which for its part is accommodated in
a p-conductive zone 6" in the n-conductive region 13.
The so-called space charge region stopper depicted in FIG. 13
constitutes an alternative to the channel stopper configuration
depicted in FIG. 12. This space charge region stopper consists only
of a well conductive n.sup.+ -conductive zone, which is placed in
the n-conductive region.
Common to both exemplary embodiments is the fact that the contact
holes he p-conductive zone 6' are substantially larger compared to
the contact holes he n- or p-conductive zones 7, 6. The result of
this is that the gate electrode 8', which lies above the areas 4',
5' is designed substantially smaller compared to the gate
electrodes 8 of the cell field. The grid, in which the areas 4', 5'
are arranged, is roughly half as large as the areas 4, 5 of the
cell field.
List of reference characters: 1 semiconductor substrate 2 drain
electrode 3 epitaxial layer 4 n-conductive area 5 p-conductive area
6 p-conductive zone 7 n-conductive zone 8 gate electrode 9
insulation layer 10 source metalization 11 compensation parabola
for variable doping 12 compensation parabola for constant doping 13
n-conductive region 15 drain zone 16 source zone 17 hexagonal
polysilicon structures 18 polysilicon opening 19 aluminum contact
hole 20 rectangular polysilicon structures 21 aluminum electrodes S
source electrode G gate electrode D drain electrode K degree of
compensation (%) U voltage (volts) t depth E electrical field A, B
surfaces 4' n-conductive area 5' p-conductive area 6' p-conductive
zone 7" n-conductive zone 8" gate electrode 6" p-conductive zone 8'
gate electrode
* * * * *